Because I Cannot Hurt You

At the village, Caihong stared at Xinyi, her gaze laced in utter sincerity as she expected her answer. Xinyi thought back to the time when Xiaosi met her.

"Honestly, I don't know how to answer you, Caihong."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know if he was serious or not. He did say that he loved you as much as I loved Zhiyuan. But when I looked into his eyes, I couldn't figure out if he was saying the truth or just testing me out of fun. Plus, at that time, I was quite shaken up to hear that he knew about my feelings for Zhiyuan. I really couldn't focus on anything else. Perhaps that's why I couldn't judge his words to be true or not."

Caihong understood Xinyi's predicament. But if by chance it was indeed true, that made Caihong all the more hate Xiaosi. If he loved her, then how could he stoop so low that night?

Xinyi gently placed her hand on her and asked, "What are you thinking, Caihong?"

Caihong softly said, "Lots of things, Xinyi. And everything just confuses me more and more. He said that in front of you but he denied them when I confronted him. He said he lied to you. He says harsh things to hurt me, but sometimes his actions contradict his words. If what he said was true, then I cannot understand why he would…" she clenched her dress as she recalled that night. 

That night was still a thorn in her heart. Whenever she tried to understand Xiaosi, that night would stand before her life a huge wall, consuming her heart in hatred. If she tried to take one step, that night would always force her to take two steps back.

Xinyi's gaze dimmed. "What if he really had feelings for you?"

She slightly shook in her place. "If it is like that then I do find it shocking. I never realized that he thought of me that way. But Xinyi, I don't blame him for having feelings for me just like I never blamed you for loving Zhiyuan. We cannot control who we fall for. It's what our heart decides. We cannot do anything about it. But will he really go to such lengths to have me? If that is so, then I cannot forgive him all the more if he loved me. You don't hurt the person you love."

Xinyi agreed.

"But then his actions make me question his intentions again and again. He always says that he hates me. But then he saved me from some bandits that attacked me yesterday."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Bandits?"

"En. And then I wondered why? Why does he care? He hates me. He shouldn't bother with what happens to me. Was it just his male ego that couldn't see other men assault his wife? When I sprained my ankle, he seemed anxious and afraid when Elder Sun was treating me. But at night, when I asked him about a small incident of the past, he coldly reminded me of that night seven years back."

Xinyi was taken aback. 

Caihong said, "You see? He behaves so differently at times. I cannot understand him at all. Sometimes he shows care and sometimes he gets so harsh that the hatred inside me bubbles again. If he doesn't love me, then why does he act like he cares for me at times? If he loves me, then how could he be so cruel and bear to hurt me that night?"

Even Xinyi had to admit that his behavior was too weird and confusing. Caihong lowered her head.

Then there is also the thing he said last night...

'I had said, I hope he wouldn't.'

On the other side, as Zhiyuan tied the last log of wood to the bamboo, the elder said, "Thank you, son. You two have been a great help to us."

Xiaosi shrugged.

Mia hopped to their side and chirped. "Grandpa. I am going into the woods to find some dry twigs and branches. We will need them to light a fire tonight."

He sighed. "I hope we get some. After the heavy rain last night, there is not much hope."

Xiaosi and Zhiyuan said together, "I will accompany her."

They glanced at each other and Xiaosi snickered. "See? We are such best friends. We even think the same."

One of the elderly women came and said, "I don't think Mia should head out now. The bandits always roam around at this time…"

Xiaosi narrowed his eyes. "Bandits?"

Mia's grandfather nodded. "There are some bandits in this village that continue to trouble us. Sometimes they steal our food and money and sometimes...they have also tried to harass some of our young daughters," he clenched his stick, feeling furious. "Somehow we stopped them but they are getting bolder and bolder."

Zhiyuan widened his eyes. "What? Why are you bearing all this? What about the police? Get them arrested."

The elderly woman sniffled. "We tried to report them one time. But when the bandits came to know about it, they attacked our village and threatened that if we dared to report them the next time, they wouldn't just stop at harassing the girls. They...they would…" she burst into tears.

Zhiyuan and Xiaosi understood the threat. They didn't say anything but both of them were in deep thought.

Zhiyuan smiled and wiped her tears. "Can I call you Grandma?"

"Of course, dear."

"Grandma. You don't have to worry about them anymore, okay? Just leave it to me."

"No, no. We don't want you or your wife to get in any danger."

"We won't be and neither would any of you in this village. Trust me. For now, Xiaosi and I will go with Mia for her safety. You are swamped with the repair work already."

Xiaosi glanced at the teenage girl. "Lead the way."

"Y-Yes!"

More than looking for the branches, she was now excited to accompany two handsome men who will guard her.

Ah, today is such a good day…

Zhiyuan came to Xinyi's side and said, "Xiaosi and I will be back in some time. Then we will leave for the campsite."

She nodded. Zhiyuan smiled and patted her head. 

Caihong glanced at Xiaosi and wondered if he would say something, but he didn't even look towards her.

Not like I expected he would inform me or something...

As they left, a few figures peeked out from behind a tree. They nodded at each other. "I knew that bitch would be here. Let's go."

---

Mia led the way through the trees as she looked around for any dry leaves and twigs. Zhiyuan asked, "Tell me more about the bandits."

Mia's brows scrunched up in a troubled expression. "Where should I even begin? They are horrible people. They are hunters who hunt illegally. But ever since they found our village at the hills, they have only troubled us. They forcibly take all the small amount of money we earn by selling our crops. They have even destroyed our crops so many times just for fun! And then…they also forcibly t-touch the girls. They have weapons with them so we cannot do anything. They laugh at our misery."

Xiaosi slowly asked, "You too?"

Mia was close to bursting into tears as she hugged herself, feeling disgusted as she recalled the horrible times. "E-En. They also fool the lost travelers and steal everything they have. We heard that once they even killed a man who resisted them. They are really scary…" she shuddered.

Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes.

"They always have an eye on us so that we don't head to the town to report against them. They said that if we did, they would force themselves on all the girls and women here and then kill them in front of everyone."

Zhiyuan and Xiaosi turned cold. Their gazes were dark and dangerous as they learned about such atrocities.

"Just because they are strong and have weapons, they think they can do anything!" Mia sniffled.

Xiaosi, particularly, felt more riled up as he heard this. His nails dug the skin of his palm and he ground his jaw. A deadly storm arose in his heart. He shot a threatening glare at Zhiyuan and said, "Indeed. People with more power become so arrogant. They think they can trample upon people's emotions and weaknesses, am I not right Zhiyuan?"

He sneered. "It's not just the bandits, Mia. People like these are everywhere especially the fucking wealthy people who think that they have everything in the palm of their hands. They like it when others cry and beg in front of them."

Zhiyuan didn't understand where he was coming from. "What are you - ow!"

He flung his arm as he felt a thorn prick his finger. It came from one of the vines hanging from a tree.

"Oh, God! You are hurt!" Mia exclaimed.

"It's alright. It's just a scratch."

But as he stared at his light bruise, a sense of discomfort welled inside him. He got pricked at his ring finger where a tiny drop of his blood had stained his wedding ring. Xinyi's image instantly flashed in his mind and he suddenly felt uneasy.

Why am I getting this bad feeling that she might be in danger…?